Vapor-induced phase-separation-enabled versatile direct ink writing

Versatile printing of polymers, metals, and composites always calls for simple, economic approaches. Here we present an approach to three-dimensional (3D) printing of polymeric, metallic, and composite materials at room conditions, based on the polymeric vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS) process. During VIPS 3D printing (VIPS-3DP), a dissolved polymer-based ink is deposited in an environment where nebulized non-solvent is present, inducing the low-volatility solvent to be extracted from the filament in a controllable manner due to its higher chemical affinity with the non-solvent used. The polymeric phase is hardened in situ as a result of the induced phase separation process. The low volatility of the solvent enables its reclamation after the printing process, significantly reducing its environmental footprint. We first demonstrate the use of VIPS-3DP for polymer printing, showcasing its potential in printing intricate structures. We further extend VIPS-3DP to the deposition of polymer-based metallic inks or composite powder-laden polymeric inks, which become metallic parts or composites after a thermal cycle is applied. Furthermore, spatially tunable porous structures and functionally graded parts are printed by using the printing path to set the inter-filament porosity as well as an inorganic space-holder as an intra-filament porogen.

Bioprinting on Live Tissue for Investigating Cancer Cell Dynamics

A challenge in cancer research is the lack of physiologically responsive in vitro models that enable tracking of cancer cells in tissue-like environments. A model that enables real-time investigation of cancer cell migration, fate, and function during angiogenesis does not exist. Current models, such as 2D or 3D in vitro culturing, can contain multiple cell types, but they do not incorporate the complexity of intact microvascular networks. The objective of this study was to establish a tumor microvasculature model by demonstrating the feasibility of bioprinting cancer cells onto excised mouse tissue. Inkjet-printed DiI⁺ breast cancer cells on mesometrium tissues from C57Bl/6 mice demonstrated cancer cells' motility and proliferation through time-lapse imaging. Colocalization of DAPI⁺ nuclei confirmed that DiI⁺ cancer cells remained intact postprinting. Printed DiI⁺ 4T1 cells also remained viable after printing on Day 0 and after culture on Day 5. Time-lapse imaging over 5 days enabled tracking of cell migration and proliferation. The number of cells and cell area were significantly increased over time. After culture, cancer cell clusters were colocalized with angiogenic microvessels. The number of vascular islands, defined as disconnected endothelial cell segments, was increased for tissues with bioprinted cancer cells, which suggests that the early stages of angiogenesis were influenced by the presence of cancer cells. Bioprinting cathepsin L knockdown 4T1 cancer cells on wild-type tissues or nontarget 4T1 cells on NG2 knockout tissues served to validate the use of the model for probing tumor cell versus microenvironment changes. These results establish the potential for bioprinting cancer cells onto live mouse tissues to investigate cancer microvascular dynamics within a physiologically relevant microenvironment. Impact statement To keep advancing the cancer biology field, tissue engineering has been focusing on developing in vitro tumor biomimetic models that more closely resemble the native microenvironment. We introduce a novel methodology of bioprinting exogenous cancer cells onto mouse tissue that contains multiple cells and systems within native physiology to investigate cancer cell migration and interactions with nearby microvascular networks. This study corroborates the manipulation of different exogenous cells and host microenvironments that impact cancer cell dynamics in a physiologically relevant tissue. Overall, it is a new approach for delineating the effects of the microenvironment on cancer cells and vice versa.

Abstract A23: A novel tumor microenvironment model that combines bioprinting and tissue culture to investigate cancer cell and microvascular interactions

A challenge in cancer research is the lack of a physiologically responsive in vitro model that allows for the investigation of cancer cells in a tissue-like environment. A model that enables real-time investigation of cancer cell migration, fate, and function during microvascular network growth does not currently exist. While current models such as 2D in vitro models or microfluidic systems incorporate real-time cell tracking and multiple cell types, they do not mimic the complexity of intact networks and tissue environments. The objective of this study was to establish a novel tumor-microvasculature model by demonstrating the feasibility of bioprinting cancer cells onto excised mouse mesometrium tissues. Prelabeled DiI mouse breast cancer (4T1) cells were inkjet-printed onto mouse mesometrium tissues. The cell ink for printing comprised 2% Na-alginate mixed in minimum essential media with 1% PenStrep (MEM) containing 15 million 4T1 cells. A single cancer cell spot per tissue was created by printing 10 drops of cell ink in the same location. MEM was added on top of tissue 30 seconds after printing and then incubated for 5 minutes before being plated into 6-well plates containing MEM supplemented with 20% serum. Tissues were cultured for 5 days, with media being changed every day. The spot of DiI+ cells was imaged every 24 hours to then quantify cell number and area for Day 0, 1, and 2. At Day 2 or 5, tissues were fixed in methanol and labeled with platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM), and E-cadherin, to identify endothelial cells and cancer cells, respectively. Co-localization of DAPI+ nuclei confirmed that DiI+ cells remained intact post-printing. Printed DiI+ 4T1 cells also remained viable after printing on Day 0 and after culture on Day 5. Time-lapse imaging over 5 days in culture enabled tracking of cell motility and proliferation. The number of cells (Day 0: 159 +/- 40, Day 1: 370 +/- 78, Day 2: 889 +/- 184, Day 5: 18,031 +/- 1,695) and cell area (Day 0: 0.72 +/- 0.19, Day 1: 1.89 +/- 0.33, Day 2: 2.92 +/- 0.44, Day 5: 5.93 +/- 0.75 mm2) were significantly increased over time. Moreover, a proliferation assay of anti-BrdU on Day 2 also highlighted that a subset of E-cadherin+ cells are in the S-phase of the cell cycle, contributing to the increase in cell number and cell area. Also, microvessels in the tissue were angiogenic evident by PECAM+ sprouts. These results corroborate that cancer cells are mobile and proliferative in this novel ex vivo model. Further, they demonstrate the potential for bioprinting cancer cells onto live, intact tissues to investigate cancer dynamics within a physiologically relevant microenvironment.

Citation Format: Ariana D. Suarez-Martinez, Marc Sole-Gras, Samantha S. Dykes, Zachary R. Wakefield, Kevin Bauer, Arinola Lampejo, Dietmar W. Siemann, Yong Huang, Walter L. Murfee. A novel tumor microenvironment model that combines bioprinting and tissue culture to investigate cancer cell and microvascular interactions [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolving Landscape of Cancer Modeling; 2020 Mar 2-5; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A23.